Hiking day tour to the top of Mt. Hekla volcano in Iceland.

Trip Difficulty 3 out of 5 possible. Moderate.

Category:
Day trip, available directly from Reykjavik in Iceland.

Height: 1491 m.
Terrain: Rough lava fields, ice and snow as the peak draws nearer.
Average ascend time: 3-4 hours.
Total average trip time: 7-8 hours.
Height gain: ~1040 meter

Mt. Hekla is undeniably Iceland’s most famous mountain. It is the second most active volcano in Iceland and has erupted many times in historic times, including one in February 2000. The mountain towers over South Iceland at roughly 1500 meters. The height changes due to movements of the earth crusts and seismic movements.

For hundreds of years the mountain was believed to be the gateway to hell and no one dared climbing it. Until, Eggert Ólafsson, a famous Icelandic biologist, decided to throw caution to the wind and succeeded in summiting the mountain in the summer of 1750.

Since then hiking to the top of Mt. Hekla has become a popular route. Although, it is not recommended to drive up its sides as the timeframe between the signaling earthquakes and an eruption is only 30-60 minutes. The view from the top of Mt. Hekla is wide and beautiful; you can see all of Fjallabak mountains, up to Vatnajökull glacier (Europe’s biggest glacier) not to mention all the evidence of recent and longstanding volcanic activity.

We reserve the right to postpone or cancel trips due to weather or other factors out side our control.

Click here for details on our cancellation policy.